Pages

Monday, August 27, 2012

Basic Chocolate Sponge Cake

I was so happy finally found a good sponge cake base that can be use as a cake base for Birthday cake. This recipe is even more easier to make if compare to the earlier sponge cake recipe that i used.
And the tip that i learnt from this recipe is to make sure you beat egg white till stiff peaks (十分发 / 硬性发泡) since we use a normal cake tin without tube/insert like chiffon cake tin. Also make sure you do not use a cake tin that is non-stick.

9. Pour batter into the pan (do not need to line with baking paper and do not use a non-stick pan), bake at pre-heated oven at 140c for 25mins (at lower rack), then increase to 170C and continue to bake for 25mins. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack (prefer to invert the cake pan). Once cake is slightly cool down(10-15mins), remove cake from cake tin (use a think and flat spatula to run around the side and bottom of the cake pan) and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

*if you want to make a normal vanilla sponge cake, replace chocolate emulco with vanilla essence, and omit cocoa powder and add back 15g of cake flour to become 90g cake flour.

Sow Ling, this recipe started with low temperature at lower rack, i guess the main purpose to cook the batter first and then increase the temp to further rise the cake..Yes, you have to beat till stiff so there is sufficient air to support rising the whole cake which is no any insert at the middle to support. Dont worry about the cake texture, it still moist and soft even meringue beat till stiff peak. The only problem is a bit difficult to fold stiff peak meringue into egg yolk batter..

Hi Sonia, U advised to use non stick baking pan. Does this means, I totally do not need to put butter / put any parchment paper to the tray? Bake just like how we bake sponge cake, where none of this is required?

Hii Sonia,...your blog is full of info and new recipe to me,...I have waiting list to try some of your cake recipe,like this.. sponge cake recipe..And i also permitted you to add your blog site to my blog..thank you for sharing...

Hi thanks for sharing the recipe! I've made this cake twice now but every time I take it out of the oven the centre sinks an the cake ends up with a big dip in the middle...based on your expertise can you explain why this happens? I follow your recipe to he point but I used a non stick pan since I don't own any that aren't... The cake rises really well in the oven but deflates whilst cooling.

Any tips would be great coz the cake tastes beautiful otherwise! Many thanks,

To Sonia and all the readers, I made this yesterday came out perfectly good. Beat egg whites till stiff peak and i used only lemon juice. ( beating egg whites is very important, when the recipe says stiff peak, means stiff peak not soft peak, so many didn't get the instruction right). and another most important thing is your oven temperature. I bake in center oven not lower rack. I preheat oven at 150c, bake 10mins and increase 170c-180c ( i know my oven well, so you must know yours too ). My cake didn't sink or shrink, cake turn out the same level before and after baked. The cake taste so good but the size a little small. thanks for the recipe Sonia :P

Thank you Sonia for this great recipe. I use this recipe n bake 1 chocolate n 1 vanilla. I using a 6 inch removable love shape pan for the chocolate n 6 inch removable chiffon tube pan for the vanilla. Both turn out great very soft. Too bad I can't post the pic here bcos I using iPhone n my laptop just end it journey.

Hi,My oven has no fan in it and it has top and bottom heating elements. May I know whether I need to turn on both the top and bottom heating elements while making this cake? As for the rack, do I place the cake at lower rack to bake instead of middle rack? Thanks!

Hi Sonia, thanks for sharing this sponge recipe! Wanted to check with you, if we should use top & bottom heating element, or just the top heating element when baking this cake? Because the cake would be position at the lowest rack right? Thanks in advance! :)

Teo ai li, sorry for my late reply. If you dont have a removable bottom cake tin, then you line paper at the bottom and grease the side and dust with flour as to easy remove cake. I baked at 2nd rack from the lowest ( from bottom, second steel bar).

Hi Sonia, appreciate you replying me...I will be baking this tomorrow. I will be cutting the cake into 3 layers and fill with chocolate mousse and then on the top, pour ganache over it. Its for my daughter's 10th birthday. Thanks!

Hi Sonia, this cake turned out very soft and fluffy and the mos amazing thing was there was no crack and minimal shrinkage after taken out of oven. I did have some problems removing the cake from the tin but guess should be able to do better with more practice. However, there was one problem that need your help......the top of my cake was burnt black but the button was perfectly ok...I followed your baking instructions to a t. So can you please advise what should I do? Thanks so much for your help!

Hi Sonia. Love your recipes. Am planning to use your sponge cake recipe for the next birthday cake which I usually cover it with fondant. Will this sponge cake hold the weight of a fondant with Swiss meringue buttercream between the layers? Thanks in advance Sonia

I have made both your chocolate sponge cake and orange chiffon cake recipes using normal round cake pans :) May I ask you what is the difference between chiffon and sponge cake as I noticed that your sponge cake and chiffon cake recipes were extreeemely similar. I Googled it but there are many different answers. Thank you!

Hi sonia,Can I use glucose with egg yolks instead of suger?can I use heating oil technique that you did in your other chocolate sponge in this recipe? I just want to get best results by mixing the two techniques .will it work? Thank you

Hi, love yr recipes! I need to make a banana sponge cake (which rises as tall as the normal vanilla sponge cake), can i use this recipe as a basis, then add 1/4tsp baking soda and 1 banana (abt 80 to 90g)? Need to make for a party. Thanks!